Online Library of Selected Images:
-- U.S. NAVY SHIPS --

USS Illinois, built at Newport News, Virginia, was the
name ship of a class of three 11,565-ton battleships. She was
commissioned in September 1901. One of her first assignments was
to test the newly-constructed floating dry dock at the Naval Station
at New Orleans, Louisiana. In April and May 1902 she steamed across
the Atlantic to visit European ports, but had to be repaired in
England after accidently grounding at Christiana (Oslo), Norway,
on 14 July. Illinois then resumed her European Squadron
duties, including a tour in the Mediterranean Sea, before returning
to the United States early in 1903. Thereafter she participated
in regular fleet operations in the Western Atlantic and the Caribbean
area.

In December 1907 Illinois steamed out of Hampton Roads,
Virginia, to begin a voyage around South America. This was the
first leg of the World Cruise of the "Great White Fleet".
In company with most of the U.S. Navy's battleships, she arrived
at California in the spring of 1908 and that summer crossed the
Pacific to Australia and Asia. During the rest of 1908 and the
first weeks of 1909 she transited the Indian Ocean, Suez Canal,
Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic, arriving back at Hampton Roads
in February 1909. Some months later Illinois was decommissioned
and underwent a major modernization, receiving new "cage"
masts and more modern equipment.

After over two years in the shipyard and in reserve, Illinois
returned to active service in 1912. During 1913 and 1914 she again
went to Europe on training cruises and, after the United States
entered World War I in April 1917, was employed for training along
the East Coast. Illinois was placed in reserve at Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, in 1919. Given the hull number BB-7 in July 1920,
the next year she became a training ship for the New York State
Naval Militia and in 1922 was reduced to "unclassified"
status. Subsequently disarmed and housed over as a floating armory,
Illinois continued in Naval Reserve service through the
1920s and 1930s. In January 1941 she was renamed Prairie State
(IX-15). The old ship served through World War II as a Midshipmen's
training school at New York and was kept there after the war to
provide quarters for the Naval Reserve. USS Prairie State
was stricken from the Navy list in March 1956 and sold for scrapping
a few months later.

This page features selected views of USS Illinois
(Battleship # 7, later BB-7) and USS Prairie State (IX-15),
and provides links to other views concerning this ship.

Underway, circa 1918, showing modifications made to the ship
during the First World War.
Despite the inscription on the print, this is NOT USS Alabama.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 104KB; 740 x 590 pixels

Photo #: NH 47030

USS Illinois (Battleship # 7)

Off the Philadelphia Navy Yard, 1919.
Photographed by La Tour.
Note that she only retains three six-inch guns on this side.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 69KB; 740 x 530 pixels

Photo #: NH 48143

USS Illinois (Battleship # 7)

At Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, circa 1919.
Photographed by La Tour.
Note that all main deck six-inch guns have been removed.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 79KB; 740 x 500 pixels

Photo #: NH 67629

USS Prairie State (IX-15) (ex-Illinois, BB-7)

Tied up, probably at New York, during the 1940s or early 1950s.

Courtesy of Donald M. McPherson, 1969.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 63KB; 740 x 455 pixels

Note: National Archives photograph # 19-N-1-11-3 has
long been identified as showing USS Illinois. However,
the ship seen there has been conclusively reidentified as USS
Alabama (Battleship # 8).
She was of the same basic design as Illinois, but differed
in detail, as explained in remarks provided on the Picture Data
pages for Photo #
19-N-1-11-3 and Photo
# NH 60570.